The referee stood in the center circle holding a ball and said to the players on both sides expressionlessly: "Gentlemen, whoever dares to act recklessly today will not get a second chance. I will send him off directly. Do you hear me clearly?"
?”
His eyes were mainly fixed on Rain Man and Comrade Lao Wang.
Rain Man glared at Lao Wang with fear and hatred, and nodded.
Lao Wang said indifferently: "Sir, you have to pay attention. If anyone dares to do something behind my back and wants to destroy me, unless I can't get up, otherwise I will destroy him on the spot. Also, my teammates
Likewise, whoever dares to be presumptuous will make him regret it."
The referee kept slapping his face and couldn't stop. He had never encountered such an arrogant player.
Yuren's heartbeat also skipped a beat and he did not dare to look into Lao Wang's eyes.
The other Sonics players also looked at each other in confusion. Isn't Old K too bold to threaten them in front of the referee?
Only the four Barkleys were laughing, Old K, this is the person standing in front of them.
Center circle, jump ball.
"Crack!"
Wang Tiejun jumped up, collided with Rainman in the air, bounced away from the opponent, and took the lead in getting the ball away.
"ball!"
Entering the paint area, he hit a fierce iron mountain elbow and beat back the rainman who wanted to entangle him. He immediately started to ask for the ball.
Without him shouting, Kevin Johnson, who was not near the top of the arc, had already passed the ball in. He caught the ball and was double-teamed by Rainman and Sam Perkins under the basket.
"open!"
Putting the ball together with both hands, the 105-kg Rainman and the 107-kg Perkins were too small to withstand such ferocious blows. They were even knocked over.
"Bang!"
"yeah!"
As the violent sound of bombing baskets sounded, the whole audience burst into cheers and countless fists were waved.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Our monster, he is a monster from ZG, a crazy sweeper in the penalty area, he is invincible under the basket!"
"Have a party, he deserves your warmest and craziest shouts!"
In excitement, the two on-site commentators roared at the top of their lungs.
"Bean sprouts, don't try to stop me. You are too immature. I'm afraid I might break your bones."
Wang Tiejun stood under the basket, looking down at the Rainman and Perkins at his feet. A cruel smile appeared on his face, he dropped a trash talk, and then went to celebrate with his teammates who rushed over.
"What a bastard!"
Perkins and Rain Man hated each other deeply, but felt powerless.
Looking back, Ricky Pierce missed a mid-range shot, Barkley protected the backcourt rebound, and the Suns attacked.
"Old K, hit him again." Seeing Wang Tiejun in the low post on the left wing, Kevin Johnson immediately passed the ball down.
"Pinch attack!"
George Karl's voice sounded from the sidelines, very shrill and crazy.
"Bang!"
The next moment, Wang Tiejun caught the ball in his hand and began a fierce back attack. The first Tieshan hit knocked Rainman back two small steps.
"Old K, knock him over!"
Countless home fans at the scene roared excitedly.
"It's too light. It's impossible to carry it. Even O'Neal can't carry Old K at full strength." Bill Walton shook his head.
"Bang!"
Before Rainman could stand still, or before the double-team arrived, the second Iron Mountain hit came.
"Well!"
Rainman groaned in pain, turned on his back, and his back hit the floor.
"yeah!"
Countless fans shouted and stood up from their seats, raising their arms and shouting wildly.
Wang Tiejun turned around, stood up, and flew directly over Rain Man's head.
Perkins, who was returning to defend the basket, didn't dare to come and block him. He could only look up at the right side of the basket as the beast attacked the basket.
"Bang!"
As the rim exploded, the American West Arena was boiling again.
"Ahem..."
Amidst the buzzing shouts, Rainman's cough was completely drowned out.
Finally regaining his breath, he couldn't wait to breathe heavily, as if he was about to expire.
At the 10th minute of the first quarter, the SuperSonics called a timeout.
Wang Tiejun has made 4 of 6 shots, succeeded in all 3 dunks, only hit 1 of 3 close-range hooks, and made 1 of 2 free throws, scoring 9 points.
At 15:30, the Suns were already 15 points ahead in ten minutes, which was exactly doubled.
However, he was also very tired. He had to fight many times, especially the strong attacks in double-teams, which consumed too much physical energy. He couldn't hit the next three attacks, let alone get in, so he used hooks from the outside.
This is his biggest limitation at present. His playing style is too strong, but it is also too energy-consuming, which limits the number of his attacks. Just like Barkley laughed at him, he has to rest for two minutes after hitting a ball, and he has to rest for one minute after playing a quarter.
Festival.
"Today's Rain Man has completely lost his spirit. We can't see the violence of the originator of Fauvism, let alone cruelty. He was completely suppressed by the violent old K."
In the ABC live broadcast booth, Bill Walton spoke.
John Hanks said: "If the game continues like this, even if there is no such crazy attack behind Old K, the SuperSonics will not be able to win this game.
At this time, Bill Walton pointed at the screen and said: "John, have you noticed that Rain Man has been rubbing his chest. He must have been hit hard by Old K."
John Hanks looked at it, nodded and said: "Whether it's Da Meng, the Admiral, or Ewing, double-teaming O'Neal and Mourning, after a game with Old K, he will choose a truce.
Although Rain Man is strong, his tonnage is only 105 kilograms after all, and his ability to fight is far inferior to the five people I just mentioned, so I am not surprised that he will have a truce in the next game, or even a truce in the second half."
Bill Walton laughed: "So in the past second round of the Western Conference, David Robinson always did not confront Old K on the offensive end, because he could not take a break in the series."
"Sean, how are you?"
George Karl asked in front of the SuperSonics bench.
Rainman's jersey was rolled up. If you look closely, you will see that there are large bruises on his dark chest, which is the phenomenon of a large number of capillaries being broken.
He looked in pain and gasped: "Damn, it hurts! Quick, give me some painkillers, my chest is about to be smashed by him.
Oh, God, I don't want to fight him anymore, he's a beast, he's a real beast!"
George Karl looked up to the sky and sighed, took a step back, waved his hand, and motioned for the team doctor to go up and take care of it.
While dealing with Rainman's injury, he laid out his tactics and said: "From now on, as long as Old K is on the court, we will play fast break and use our speed to wear them down. On the defensive end, we will implement a pincer attack and the speed must be
quick."
The timeout ended and Wang Tiejun did not play.
But on the SuperSonics side, Rainman also sat on the bench and did not go up.
After the first quarter, at 21:35, the Suns led by 14 points at home.
In the second quarter, the SuperSonics played half the main force and half the substitute. The Suns played three main players. Barkley played 10 minutes and Wang Tiejun only played 6 minutes in the second half of the quarter.
When he was on the court, the SuperSonics really improved their offensive and defensive rhythm. He couldn't keep up with the rhythm, and he was least good at dealing with this kind of fast break tactics.
On the offensive end, when Barkley was not on the court, he was closely and fiercely attacked. Within 6 minutes, he only made 1 of 3 hooks, 2 of 4 free throws, and only scored 3 points. The efficiency was not high.
, far inferior to the performance in the first quarter.
Gu Qi
Generally speaking, the Suns were not as good as the SuperSonics in this quarter because the SuperSonics' bench lineup was much stronger than the Suns.
At halftime, 52:60, the Suns still led by 8 points, but were pulled back by 6 points in the first quarter.
"Old K, how is your physical condition?" Barkley asked on the way back to the locker room.
"No problem, I only played 16 minutes in two quarters. After a 15-minute break, I can play in the third quarter. I only played a few minutes in the last game." Wang Tiejun said with a smile.
"Old K, you play less in the third quarter and play more in the final quarter." At this time, head coach Westphal said from behind.
The team's most efficient offense now is Wang Tiejun's basket offense, which Barkley can't compare to. However, because Wang Tiejun's physical fitness is limited, he has to save this opportunity until the most critical final quarter.
If Wang Tiejun is not needed by then, that's even better. Save him some energy now. Once he enters the finals, that's when he will be needed most.
"Okay, coach." Wang Tiejun turned around and said.
In the third quarter, he only played half of the quarter and fished on the court.
The SuperSonics counterattacked with all their strength. At the end of the third quarter, 80:85, the Suns only led by 5 points.
"The Suns should win this game," Bill Walton said.
"Old K only grabbed rebounds in the third quarter and did not participate in the offense. He must be preparing for the final quarter." John Hanks said.
Bill Walton said: "The SuperSonics are still not easy to play. From the main players to the substitutes, everyone can score, and everyone cannot be let go. If the Suns want to win, they must make great efforts and must not be careless."
In the final quarter, both sides sent in all their main forces.
Westphal arranged for Wang Tiejun to attack hard in the second half, and he was well prepared.
But, he had no chance.
Barkley made a strong attack in the first half of the quarter, scoring 10 points in half a quarter, beating Perkins and leading the team by as many as 14 points. The SuperSonics were messed up by Wang Tiejun before the game. Today's morale was originally
It wasn't high, and it collapsed before he could exert any force.
At the end, 100:112, the Suns won by 12 points.
Wang Tiejun made 7 of 12 shots in 34 minutes, a field goal percentage of 58.3%, and 4 of 8 free throws. He scored 18 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, and 2 fouls.
His hook shot in the last two points today was not very good, and his touch was not good. It was probably because he lost his touch with his three dunks in the opening game.
Bill Walton said in the post-game summary: "The Suns have won two consecutive games at home, and the Western Conference Finals have the same situation as the Eastern Conference Finals.
Rainman was in average condition today. He played 42 minutes, made 4 of 10 shots, and only made two dunks. He took as many as 8 outside jump shots and only made two.
Old K took more shots in the first quarter and seldom played in the last three quarters. Because of his playing style, his physical fitness has always been a big problem. When the team has the advantage, he really doesn't need to attack hard."
John Hanks said with a smile: "Rainman suffered a big loss in the first quarter today in the confrontation with Old K. He has been deliberately avoiding Old K since then, which means that Old K rarely takes action in the next three quarters, otherwise he will suffer even more losses."
Big, that's why he rarely made dunks today."
"Old K's post-up play is excellent, and his offense under the basket is even more powerful. But if I really want to choose one of his strongest abilities, I would say it is neither post-up play nor offense under the basket, but his ability at the basket.
A strong confrontation." Bill Walton laughed.
"Not bad." John Hanks nodded without hesitation.
In the visiting team's locker room, the SuperSonics management was discussing whether to file a complaint with the league about Old K beating Rain Man off the court, but George Karl stopped him.
What George Karl means is that even if a complaint is made, the league will probably not impose much punishment. A fine of money is useless. If it angers Old K, it will be even worse. Now that Old K has beaten Rain Man, the matter has been settled.
Okay, stop being troublesome.
In the end, the management adopted the head coach's suggestion.
The atmosphere in the home team's locker room is great.
After a lively chat, Kevin Johnson suddenly said angrily: "The league has taken too good care of the Bulls. They arranged back-to-back games for us last time. This time, the Eastern Conference Finals will start first, but now we are playing G3 first."
Everyone was startled and nodded repeatedly.
It turns out that Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals was played on the 28th, Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals was scheduled for the 29th, and Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals was played on the 25th, leaving several days of rest time in between, so Kevin Johnson and the others felt it was unfair.
"I think the Knicks may have a problem this time. The Bulls will have a few days of rest at home. Both physical reserves and psychological adjustments will be strengthened. Once the Bulls equalize the score, the pressure will be on the Knicks.
On my body." Dan Marli said.
Danny Ainge said thoughtfully: "In the past few seasons, the Knicks have been eliminated by the Bulls many times. Ewing's performance at critical moments is not strong. With his psychological quality, if the Bulls really equalize the score, the Knicks
Si might really be eliminated."
After chatting for a while and venting our dissatisfaction, the matter passed. After all, the Bulls are the heart of the league, and it is natural to have preferences. Who allowed Jordan to be there?
On the 27th, the Suns flew to Seattle.
The format of the Western Conference Finals is the same as the second round, 22111, followed by two away games.
On the 28th, the game day of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
This game is very important to the SuperSonics and cannot be lost. If they lose a big three and become a zero to three, the series will be lost.
In the end, 101:120, the SuperSonics really got a win.
The Sonics felt hot throughout the game, making 7 of 14 three-pointers. The team's shooting percentage was as high as 57%, and three people scored 20.
Not only did the Suns have a big problem defensively, but they also failed to perform well offensively under the Sonics' vicious flanking attacks and unlimited defense changes.
Kevin Johnson, who has always played very steadily, only made 2 of 11 shots in this game, and Barkley made 7 of 20 shots, which is not very efficient.
Wang Tiejun played for 38 minutes and encountered fierce double-teams. He made 6 of 13 shots, with a shooting percentage of only 46%, and 9 of 16 free throws. He scored 21 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 2 turnovers and 6 fouls. In the 7th minute of the final quarter, he scored 6
commit a crime.
Among his six fouls, there were two offensive fouls, all of which were called while attacking the basket, and one was called while grabbing a rebound. There were only three defensive fouls.
Judging from these whistles, the SuperSonics' home field advantage is obvious.
However, the Suns have long been mentally prepared for the SuperSonics' home court advantage, so a defeat did not make the team lose confidence.
On the 29th, Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals begins.
In the end, 83:103, the Bulls won by 20 points.
The Bulls relied on defense and rebounding, forcing the Knicks to make 20 turnovers in the game. They only had 12 turnovers, and only had 5 fewer rebounds and two more steals, ensuring that their shots were not at a high level.
Disadvantages.
Then he made 5 of 8 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage of 62.5%. The overall shooting percentage was 4 percentage points higher than the Knicks, and the true shooting percentage was 10 percentage points higher than the Knicks.
Personally, only Ewing performed well in the Knicks, making 7 of 13 shots, 7 of 8 free throws, and scoring 21 points and 9 rebounds. The others were not very good.
On the Bulls side, Jordan continued to make breakthroughs throughout the game and was double-teamed by the Knicks. He made only 3 of 18 shots and a shooting percentage of only 16.7%. However, he caused huge damage, making 16 of 17 free throws and scoring 22.
Points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists.
Pippen made 10 of 12 shots, 1 of 1 three-pointers, and 8 of 10 free throws. He also made a lot of breakthroughs and was more lethal than Ewing. He scored a team-high 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.
The Suns watched the game in the hotel. After the game, head coach Westphal said very seriously: "Did you see it? This is the lethality. If we meet the Bulls in the finals, this is our goal."
problems that must be faced.
It should be said that the Knicks' interior defense is stronger than ours, but K's defense, especially his ability to assist in defense, is seriously inadequate, and our interior line may, with a high probability, be blown to pieces by the Bulls."
Assistant coach Lewis nodded and said: "When the Bulls beat us, the first is to break through and cause damage. If they can beat Old K, their tactics will be half successful. The second is to defend on the outside, forcing us to make mistakes, and at the same time cutting off the connection between the outside and inside.
"
Westphal nodded and said: "Okay, let's put aside the Bulls first, let's take care of the SuperSonics first. We must win tomorrow night's game, and we must not let the SuperSonics equalize the score.
Therefore, all the main players must be mentally prepared for tomorrow night’s game, as you will have a lot of playing time.”
May 30th, the game day of G4 of the Western Conference Finals.
"Ah! Be gentle! Hiss! Ah..."
In the home team's locker room, a masseur was massaging Rain Man. From time to time, Rain Man let out exaggerated cries or screams. Every movement of the masseur made him feel extremely painful.
The massage is not on the lower back, but on the chest, mainly on the left chest.
There is a large area of swelling in the left chest. This is a blunt injury to the muscles after multiple strong impacts. Even an ice bath cannot solve the problem and cannot stop the muscle swelling.
There was even a dull pain in the row of ribs on the left chest.
This was the result of him trying his best to avoid confrontation with Old K. After three consecutive games, he was still injured. The injuries accumulated and became like this.
Especially in the last game, the Suns didn't play well enough. Old K, who wanted to win, simply came for him. He sought strong confrontation with him on both offense and defense, which made him suffer a lot.
He could even smell the smell of blood in his breath, which made him feel waves of fear.
Seeing Rain Man's appearance and hearing his cries of pain, the shadow lingered in the heart of head coach George Karl.
He was sure that in this match, Old K would definitely hold on to Yu Ren and would definitely fight hard until Yu Ren's will and body were completely destroyed.